How to Buy a Quality Air Mattress
Most of us are familiar with the traditional innerspring mattress design. However, there are many different mattresses available on the market today, and some of them provide advantages over the ubiquitous innerspring mattress. The air mattress is one design that many people get excited about.
Instead of the steel coils found in most beds, air mattresses consist of flexible bladders, which are pumped full of air. This design offers several advantages over traditional beds. First, they can be deflated and stowed more easily. Second, their firmness can be adjusted by changing the air pressure.
Features of the Air Mattress
Quality air mattresses include an electric pump, which can easily adjust the air pressure. Often a remote control is included to allow easy adjustment of settings. Large beds often have two remotes, one for each side of the bed.
One feature popular with couples is the two bladder mattress that allows the firmness of each side to be independently set. It’s a perfect solution for couples who can’t quite agree on what the perfect bed should feel like.
Air mattresses are often used as primary beds. These are generally quality air mattresses that last many years. However, less expensive air mattresses are popular choices for guest rooms. They can remain deflated and in storage until needed, and these hassle-free sleeping solutions inflate in just a few minutes.
Air mattresses almost always contain a comfort layer of some sort. Foams are commonly used. The highest quality (and most expensive) materials are latex foam and memory foam. Both of these make an ideal comfort layer for air mattresses. A good comfort layer will help protect the air mattress from its biggest weakness: punctures.
Air Mattress Buying Tips
Stay away from unnecessary features. Some bed manufactures offer cordless remotes, but they are easy to lose. Other manufactures offer multi-bladder designs in an effort to increase adjustability. Two air chambers are ideal for couples. However, with each additional air chamber, the number of seams and amount of adhesives increase, which could reduce the life of the mattress.
Air mattresses can be made from several different materials. PVC or synthetic rubber are good choices because they last a long time and are fairly elastic, although they feel stiffer than natural rubber. Natural vulcanized rubber is a premium material that costs a bit more. However, natural rubber is more flexible than the other choices, and it offers increased comfort especially at higher pressure settings.
The comfort layer is important, because an air mattress itself is not particularly comfortable. Cheap air mattresses often have pillow tops that feel luxurious at first. Unfortunately, after just a few months, impressions and ruts will form. It is worth spending extra on latex or quality memory foam especially if you plan on using the mattress as a daily sleeper.
Air mattresses aren’t as popular as innerspring mattresses, and they have a fairly high return rate. However, an air mattress made from quality materials is a pleasure to sleep on and can last for many years. So unless you intend to use the mattress in a guest room, plan on spending more for a premium air mattress.